Pill 'triggers fat-burning'
If the drug is developed for humans it could let people shift their energy balance
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Monday, 30, Apr 2007 05:25
Scientists have developed a way of switching on the main regulator that controls the ability of cells to burn fat.
In tests on mice the researchers found that even when the animals were not active, turning on the chemical switch on PPAR-d through a drug activates the same fat-burning process that occurs during exercise.
The mice given the drug shifted their energy balance to make them resistant to weight gain on a high-fat diet.
Scientists from the Salk Institute are hopeful that the technique will lead to a new approach to treatment and prevention of human metabolic syndrome, a series of factors (for example obesity and high blood pressure) which increase people's risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Salk scientist Dr Ronald Evans said that the potential to engineer metabolism, possibly through a one-a-day pill, is "exciting".
Having access to a medical pill, he argues, would improve the quality of muscles and increase the burning of energy or excess fat in the body.
This would in turn lead to less fatty tissue, lower amounts of fat in the blood and less resistance to insulin, therefore lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The findings were presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington DC.